June 17, 2025 – Greenville, N.C.
A Nigerian-born U.S. citizen previously convicted in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme has been indicted on new charges of naturalization fraud, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, 51, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly lying on his U.S. naturalization application by failing to disclose his involvement in criminal activity.
Court documents allege that Okoro made knowingly false statements under penalty of perjury when he responded “no” to the question: “Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Okoro became a naturalized U.S. citizen on December 13, 2018.
However, he was later tried and convicted by a jury on September 19, 2024, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for his role in a massive fraud operation. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud, in addition to multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud. The fraudulent scheme, according to prosecutors, occurred between August 2008 and January 2011, years before his naturalization.
Okoro was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $22 million in restitution for his role in defrauding victims.
At the time of his naturalization in 2018, Okoro had not yet been arrested in connection to the crimes, allowing him to avoid disclosing the information on his application.
The new indictment charges Okoro with three counts of naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Federal authorities emphasized their commitment to upholding the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and encouraged the public to report suspected immigration fraud through the USCIS Tip Form.
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